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Monthly Archives: March 2012

Explaining the French term cru [or “growth”] to someone is like trying to explain cars.

Most everyday, inexpensive French wines from regions like Bordeaux or Burgundy do not carry the cru moniker, and in some cases keep it simple by stating what kind of grapes they are made of. Think of these wines as the equivalent of a:

Toyota Camry

Honda Accord

Nissan Altima

Volkswagen Passat

These are your everyday, workhorse wines/cars that do what they are supposed to do.

To quote Wikipedia, “cru is often used to indicate a specifically named and legally defined vineyard or ensemble of vineyards and the vines ‘which grow on [such] a reputed terroir; by extension of good quality’…they designate levels of presumed quality that are variously defined in different wine regions.” Wines that carry the cru moniker usually do not come cheap, so think of these as a:

Lexus ES

Acura TL

Infiniti G

Audi A4

These wines/cars represent a step-up from the usual and an increase in substance and style.

Within the cru classification system exist sub-categories that rank wine, wineries, and vineyards. It is at the top where all the fun is at, whether it is the Premier cru of Bordeaux or the Grand cru of Burgundy, Think of this particular sub-category, the crème de la crème, as a:

Lexus LFA

Acura NSX

Nissan GT-R

Audi R8

You pay for what you are getting at this level.

Having said all that, do not be easily led astray by a label. Just because it is not Premier cru Chateau Latour does not mean it is going to stink; a good ~$20 Cabernet-Merlot blend from the Haut-Medoc region of Bordeaux is very easy to find. Likewise, just because it is a Lexus LFA does not mean it is going to always get you from Point A to Point B faster, especially if you plan on doing a lot of city driving.

However, “there are some peculiar quirks to the FAA’s bureaucratic approval process. Under current guidelines, individual tablet models will need to be tested separately — on each different aircraft model. The iPad, iPad 2 and iPad 3 will be individually tested, each on a separate flight, on an empty plane, for the Boeing 737, 747, 757, etc. Smartphones are not being considered for approval, which will be good news for those hoping to keep the skies a relatively quiet place…We are a long ways off from seeing iPads in use during takeoff and landing, but the fact that the FAA is willing to consider changing the regulations is very promising.”

So the next time you are waiting on the tarmac and have the itch to play something like: